Paternity

Gainesville Paternity Lawyers

Georgia Paternity Action and Legitimization Attorneys

Paternity actions are filed by the mother and served upon the biological father. Where this legal action is filed depends upon the location of the child or location of the biological father.

Expenses for Raising a Child

The Court can award reasonable or necessary expenses associated with the birth and upbringing of the child. In order for the Court to award these expenses, the mother must be able to establish through receipts and medical records actual costs associated with the child. However, the law does not allow a mother to recover a portion of rent or utility bills but does allow the mother to recover costs associated with the birth of the child.

Required DNA Testing

The Court can require the alleged biological father and child to submit to DNA testing. DNA testing was previously a more invasive process but now can be accomplished simply by swabbing the mouth of the child and alleged biological father.

Once the Court has determined paternity, the Court can establish a child support obligation. Furthermore, the Court can award attorney’s fees associated with the pursuit of the paternity action.

Legitimation

A paternity action is a separate and distinct action from a legitimation action. The biological father files legitimation actions to legalize the parent/child relationship.

The Court must determine two things:

If the alleged putative father is indeed the biological father based upon the consent of the parties or DNA testing

Whether it is in the best interest of the child to legalize the parent/child relationship

Although the law favors legitimation, there are times when the Court could find that the granting of the legitimation is not in the best interest of the child. For example, if the biological father sexually abused the child in question, the Court could deny the legitimation.

Should the Court grant the legitimation, then the Court can consider the visitation and custodial rights of the father. Likewise, the Court will set child support. The outcome of these family law matters depends on the answers to the following questions:

Were the mother and father married at the time the child was conceived?

Were the mother and father married at any time during the pregnancy?

Were the mother and father married at the time the child was born?

After the child was born, did the father recognize the child as his own?

Has the biological father even been determined to be the child’s father by a Final Paternity Order?

Has the biological father ever lived with the child?

Has the biological father contributed to the child’s support?

Was the biological father listed on the child’s birth certificate?

Has the biological father been paying child support?

Contact a Paternity Lawyer

Many people confuse paternity and legitimation. Be sure to communicate with an attorney to determine your legal needs and options. Contact one of the attorneys at Coleman, Chambers & Rogers, LLP at 678-928-5757 .

I recently used Bob Coleman in my divorce case. Bob made it easy and a lot less painless than I had expected. He was able to get a Temporary Protective Order dropped that my wife had placed against me, get me the child custody that I was looking for which was a very unusual schedule than most see, he kept me from paying alimony, and he was able to take care of my real-estate and criminal charges. He was very forward and honest through everything and also was strong while fighting my cases. Honestly, he and his whole staff helped me more than I could have asked for and never stopped fighting for what I wanted. I would highly recommend Bob and his firm to anyone in need of help in any of these areas!--Cody 2012

Mr. Coleman and his team of well trained clerks turned the tables on the “high” priced attorney. They never flinched and in turn never backed down from my case. So if you want someone that is not afraid and will never back down, strong advocate for you, the client and represents you with unfettered zealousness, Mr. Bob Coleman is the one that you should choose.--N.R.

Bob Coleman's knowledge of divorce law was excellent and I felt like I had the strongest lawyer in the room. He listened to my concerns and counseled me on the correct actions to take during negotiations. The office is professional and the staff is courteous.--B.D.

The Coleman firm represented me in a divorce and child custody issue. Mr. Coleman and his associates, took on a high powered downtown firm with their expenses lawyers and expensive offices and WON. He got me and my daughter more than we expected and did not back down on anything major – even when I said it was ok. --L.A.

Bob Coleman represented me in two separate legal matters during my divorce/custody settlement over the past several years. I am extremely pleased with the professional manner in which he and his firm corresponded with me and with the monetary savings he was able to obtain for me.--C.D.

Bob Coleman has always gone above and beyond my expectations. He has handled 5 custody modifications in the past 6 years so I am writing this review after many years of knowing Mr. Coleman. He has never failed to stand up for my rights and always fought to see that I was treated fairly.--J.D.

Bob Coleman is a good person if you have him on your side. He is very aggressive, right to the point. Fought for everything I wanted and more. I feel like the people at Coleman, Chambers, Rogers & Williams, LLP helped me out in a good way while I was going through a very bad time in my life.--F.Z.

I have seen Mr. Coleman try hundreds of child abuse and negligent cases. The one thing that I can attest to is that Mr. Coleman is very professional and always represents his clients with the utmost integrity. I would highly recommend Mr. Coleman to anyone that needs excellent representation.--C.G.

I was deeply impressed by the attentiveness of Mr. Coleman and his colleagues and their ability to represent me and honor my wishes during this difficult time. One of my greatest desires in the divorce was to minimize the trauma of this process for my children. I believe that Mr. Coleman successfully achieved this as he is also a good father, husband and family-minded man which afforded him an important perspective on the sanctity of family stability.--C.H.

Anyone retaining Bob Coleman and his firm can be comfortable that they have retained the best in the area.--L.J.

Candace Williams is one of the best attorneys I have ever worked with. She is a true professional and a credit to the legal profession. She demonstrates true dedication and professionalism towards her clients. Her knowledge of the law is very evident when she represents her clients in the court room.

Working with Candace Williams and her staff was a pleasure. I had a lot of questions, and they were all answered directly and quickly. I would definitely recommend Candace and her firm for any of your needs.

I used Ms. Williams for a modification of custody. Ms. Williams always kept me informed, was very detailed and thorough, and really cared about what happened to my children. She is an awesome lawyer and would definitely recommend her to anyone.--Timothy

Candace Williams handled my Modification of Custody case this year based on a move. Ms. Williams was responsive within 24 hours to my inquiries, professional, understanding of the emotion, detailed, realistic of the outcome, and very strong in Court. We were successful in defeating the claim and on the contempt. I would recommend her to anyone seeking a family law matter.--Anthony

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